October, 2022
My last full day here, camping at Illahee State Park, near Bremerton. My friends had hitched up their trailer this morning and were headed home, but I still had this one more day to find something to explore before I would need to leave tomorrow morning. So I did! I found stuff to go see. 🙂
When we were in the Puget Sound Navy Museum the other day, I noticed signs to a waterfront park, and I could see just a bit of the fountains in that park from the windows inside the museum. So today, I drove back into downtown Bremerton and headed to that waterfront park. Easy parking on side streets.
As I walked into the waterfront park, I saw these curved signs, many of them.
And there were fountains, and places to sit or just stand and eat your lunch as you enjoy the surroundings.
The park was larger than I initially thought, much larger. It wound around down through trees, with a delightful waterway that flowed down the steps right beside the steps for us humans.
There were more of those curved signs on the way down to the waterfront. But here’s the first sign I came upon as I first walked into the park.
Here below is a close-up of the lower image in that sign above. Margaret Christenson was a welder, building/repairing US Navy ships. Ruth Hefta stood by on fire watch. Lots of women did lots of these professional jobs, and many others.
Another of the curved signs showed a photograph of Esther Bielmeier (below) doing her job as a rivet heater, passer, and catcher. Another dangerous job if you didn’t adjust the gas that fed the fire properly.
Besides the photo in that curved sign above … there was this life-size statue of Esther there too.
Imagine that entire metal bin of rocks RED hot! And the rivet red hot as well. And you need to pull out a rivet at the moment when it was the proper temperature and TOSS it, accurately, to someone so they catch it and then hammer it into the ship’s walls.
That was interesting, but I also enjoyed walking down those stairs, along the water-course, past a few small fountains, into peace and quiet and trees and birds.
Eventually the view below appeared. Hmmm, a walkway for people above (on the left), and a walkway down and around these rather large black round things with water pouring out of them. Interesting.
As I was taking photos, I saw the ferry arrive (below). Engines were saying rumble, rumble, and the Captain signaled a toot, toot. It was coming into the ferry terminal that was immediately to the left of this park.
So I stood and watched. The ferry docked. And then I walked closer to that first big round black thing and just stood and watched everything … a few people up above on the left, the trees, the rocks, the birds, the green grass, the blue sky, the water pouring out of those “things”. It was rather enchanting, and calming. But … keep your eyes peeled in the video below (turn your sound on) for a surprise. Enjoy the view for sure, relax, but watch what eventually happens to that big black thing. Truly, just listen to the water and enjoy the scene and relax.
Whoop! I had no idea it was going to do that!!
Then I zoomed in on the next three big black things. I guess I timed it right. One of them did the same thing! And you can hear, in the video below (turn the sound up), the people cheering when it did it.
That’s when I realized these round things weren’t round at all. They were shaped more like a submarine’s conning tower or “sail”. Indeed, the signs I then found said that that is exactly what they are supposed to be … partly a sub’s conning tower … but also partly an Orca’s large back fin and their blow of water when they breathe! I like that. I’ve seen lots of Orcas in my boating days on Puget Sound, spectacular.
And so now I was really interested in this park. I walked up to that platform on the left and looked out over the lower portion of the park. I think there were five of those fountain/towers in all. The photo below shows the two that were closest to the water, the salt water of Sinclair Inlet.
I walked down onto that lower area, and out to the rock sculpture. Then turned and looked back at those fountains. Now, with the sun behind me, the towers weren’t black anymore, they were gorgeous green and copper-colored.
Even with rainbows. 🙂
Here’s a video below showing how the water comes out of the top of each tower.
And here’s a video (below) of that same tower just a few second later. Zounds!
Signs in the area said these towers aren’t timed to “blow”, it’s all luck of the draw if you can get a photo or not. I seemed to have the luck. 🙂
Look at this photo below. Perfect timing. Not one drop of water had yet landed back on the tower. It could have been a Chihuly glass piece! But indeed, it was water. Whoosh!
Here’s the last video I took (below). I’d gone back up onto the viewing platform, had been standing there awhile, then decided to shoot one last video.
Two of them!! I am part Irish, that’s for sure, and I sure had the luck of the Irish today.
As many times as I’ve moored my boat right next door in the public marina, or driven through Bremerton, or visited the museum also right next door, I’d never heard of this waterfront park. Absolutely I’ll be back to enjoy it again.
That’s really cool!! I love those blowing fountains! The whole thing is really neat!
Thanks Dawn. 🙂 I thought so too. It was really fun.
Another fascinating place we’ve never been! How do you find these places? Ok, we now have a list as long as all four of our arms of places to visit in Washington State. Yes, Orcas … thanks for calling them by their rightful name. This blog was fascinating. We’ll see you down there. 🙂
Jim (and Janey) from BC Canada
Ha, nice comment Jim. One of the reasons I find things like this is that I go camping somewhere and STAY there all week and then use the big white truck to go exploring … and, I ask the locals sometimes too. I bet you and Janey know a zillion great places to go and great things to see in BC, so maybe we should exchange lists, and I’ll see you up there. 🙂 Thanks for following my blog and for your always super comments.
I never knew that was there either, and have been to that marina too. Sounds really peaceful and fun, both. My grandmother worked for the military in WWI in a professional “working” job in a shipyard, but I never asked her what that was. Sure wish I had. Cool stuff.
I bet your grandmother had interesting experiences. Maybe other relatives did hear some of the stories from her? There are so many things I wish I had asked my mother. I bet your grandmother had some great stories to tell.
Nice to know you’ve been in that marina too … maybe when I was there, who knows. 🙂
A mate of mine who worked on the railway with me has suggested we take a few drives and see the country. We’ll be off soon. What brilliant fountains and park this is, so peaceful and fun. What imagination the designers used. Hope we find things of similar nature.
A trip like that, with a mate, sounds like great fun, Henry. Please feel free to write here in comments, any time!, about your adventures and what you see. Happy travels.
A Chihuly glass piece indeed! It really looks like one. Beautiful photographs. Anne says we need to go visit this park. Of course, we feel that way about so many of the places you post. 👍😀
Anne is right, you need to visit that park … and wander down to the Illahee State Park beach at low or high tide. And drive through the campground and see where I was camped, #10. Thanks for the nice “Chihuly” comment. 🙂
Cool beans! Have seen my share of Orca too on Puget Sound and in Canada and in the Strait, amazing creatures. To make a composite of a conning tower and an Orca’s fin (and blow/breathing) was brilliant. Ok, I’m on my way over too. Would be cool if all your readers showed up there at once.
Rob, I know of only one other human being who says “cool beans” … I loved that. What great boating stories you have. Hope you have photos too.
Yes, I thought the conflagration, co-mingling, whatever of the two ideas, the conning tower and an Orca, was superb.
See everyone in Bremerton one weekend this spring, yes? Ha! 🙂
Hi! I found your blog through LC and have been lurking and reading. I love your adventures. I’ve lived around Puget Sound most of my life and haven’t seen half of what you’ve shown us. Love this park and the fountains, especially how it relates to Orcas. And that “Chihuly” water sculpture photo is just so cool! 🙂 Does look like glass. Thank you for spending the money and time to produce this blog … I’ve used the link on the right side of the page to send a couple of bucks to you through PayPal. Have a coffee! 🙂 And … thank you!
Hi Lisa, welcome! 🙂 Nice to have you along. You can keep lurking, or you can comment any time, it’s all good, though I do like comments. It’s nice to have another LC connection, always nice.
Thank you for that donation! It will go to a cup of coffee (or four!).
I’ll look forward to comments about your travel experiences here in WA, especially since you’ve lived here most of your life. More ideas about camping destinations are very welcome.
Thanks for the wonderful comment. 🙂
Fantastic! Fascinating.
🙂 Thanks Ruth. It sure was.
I notice in the 4th photo that maybe some cleaning could be done around the small fountain/pool. Otherwise, this place looks super cool. I wonder about cleaning the outside of those conning towers but maybe there is SO much water pouring over them, and they are copper?, that they don’t need cleaning. Is the water on 24×7? Is it salt water or fresh water? Do you have photos or videos of the Orca you saw? THAT would be cool to see. 🙂
Ah, good eyes, Babe. I hadn’t noticed that. After your comment, I looked through ALL of my photos from that visit and find no other concern except that one photo. But it sure does need cleaning there!
So, yes, the conning towers are copper. The water is fresh water, not salt water. The volume and speed of the water keeps the conning towers clean. They usually run 24×7 in order to keep the towers clean, keep the birds off, etc. But the towers are shut off at times for maintenance … partly of the pumps and filters, but also for cleaning the towers and cleaning the pools around them.
Ah, the Orca. Yes, I have film photos of the Orca I saw from my boat. It’s on my to-do list to scan and digitize those photos, but that means years and years of boating photos. Ok, I’ll get on it! 🙂
Way cool!
🙂 Thanks!